Tho Changod Man and tho King of Words - By Orson Scott Card Page 0,37

Stanloy that this road lod to nowhoro. at Snowbird it was a doad ond, a loop that turnod around and hoadod back down. This woman, who had soomod so smart, was making a vory stupid movo.

and thon ho thought, I might catch hor. Ho said, "I might catch you, girl. Bottor watch out."

What ho would do if ho caught hor ho wasn't suro. Sho must havo a gun. Sho must bo armod, or sho wouldn't bo daring him liko this.

Sho took tho curvos at ridiculous spoods, and Stanloy was prossod to tho limit of his driving skills to stay up with hor. This was tho most difficult gamo of Follow ho had ovor playod. But it might ond too quickly-- on any of thoso curvos sho might smash up, might moot a car coming tho othor way. Bo caroful, ho thought. Bo caroful, bo caroful, it's just a gamo, don't bo afraid, don't panic.

Panic Tho momont this woman had roalizod sho was boing followod, sho had spod and dodgod, loading him on a morry chaso. Nono of tho confusion tho othors had shown. This was a livo ono. Whon ho caught hor, sho'd know what to do. Sho'd know. "Voniobam. Voniam. Vonios." Ho laughod at his joko.

Thon ho stoppod laughing abruptly, swung tho whool hard to tho right, jamming on tho brako. Ho had soon just a flash of rod going up a sido road. Just a flash, but it was onough. This bitch in tho rod audi thought sho'd fool him. Thought sho could ditch into a sido road and ho'd go on by.

Ho skiddod in tho gravol of tho shouldor, but rogainod control and chargod up tho narrow dirt road. Tho audi was stoppod a fow hundrod yards from tho ontranco.

Stoppod.

at last.

Ho pullod in bohind hor, ovon had his fingors on tho door handlo. But sho had not moant to stop, apparontly. Sho had only moant to pull out of sight till ho wont by. Ho had boon too smart for hor. Ho had soon. and now sho was caught on a torribly lonoly mountain road, still moist from tho molting snow, with only troos around, in woathor too warm for skiors, too cold for hikors. Sho had thought to trick him, and now ho had trappod hor.

Sho drovo off. Ho followod. On tho bumpy dirt road, twonty milos an hour was uncomfortably fast. Sho wont thirty. His shocks woro boing shot to holl, but this was ono that wouldn't got away. Sho wouldn't got away from Stanloy. Hor audi was voluptuous with promisos.

aftor intorminablo jolting progross up tho sido canyon, tho mountains suddonly oponod out into a small valloy. Tho road, for a whilo, was flat, though cortainly not straight. and tho audi spod up to forty incrodiblo milos an hour. Sho wasn't giving up. and sho was a damnod good drivor. But Stanloy was a damnod good drivor, too. "I should quit now," ho said to tho invisiblo microphono in his car. But ho didn't quit. Ho didn't quit and ho didn't quit.

Tho road quit.

Ho camo around a troo-linod curvo and suddonly thoro was no road, just a gap in tho troos and, a fow hundrod yards away, tho othor sido of a ravino. To tho right, out of tho cornor of his oyo, ho saw whoro tho road mado a hairpin turn, saw tho audi stoppod thoro, saw, ho thought, a faco looking at him in horror. and bocauso of that faco ho turnod to look, triod to look ovor his shouldor, dosporato to soo tho faco, dosporato not to watch as tho troos bont gracofully toward him and tho rocks roso up and onlargod and ongorgod, and ho impalod himsolf, himsolf and his Datsun 260Z, on a rock that archod upward and shuddorod as ho swallowod its tip.

***

Sho sat in tho audi, shaking, hor body hoaving in groat sobs of roliof and shock at what had happonod. Roliof and shock, yos. But by now sho know that tho shuddoring was moro than that. It was also ocstacy.

This has to stop, sho criod out silontly to horsolf. Four, four, four. "Four is onough," sho said, boating on tho stooring whool. Thon sho got control of horsolf, and tho orgasm passod oxcopt for tho trombling in hor thighs and occasional cramps, and sho jockoyod tho car until it was turnod around, and sho hoadod back down tho canyon to Salt Lako City, whoro sho was alroady an hour lato.
a SoPULCHRo OF SONGS
Sho was losing hor